Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas (2018) is a graphic novel that is the fifth installment of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series, a spin-off from Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series. In Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, Petey must protect his son, Li’l Petey, from three villains, who call themselves The Fleas. Petey and Li’l Petey, along with Dog Man and 80-HD, manage to defeat the villains, who are shrunk to tiny sizes with Petey’s shrink-ray gun and then lost, although Dog Man’s very itchy skin suggests that they could have become caught in his fur!

This study guide is written using the first print edition (2018) of Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas.

Plot Summary

George and Harold are studying William Golding’s Lord of the Flies at school, which gives them an idea for a new iteration of Dog Man.

Dog Man, Li’l Petey, and 80-HD have breakfast together. Li’l Petey and 80-HD have been working on a Dogmobile and a hydraulic ramp for the car, as well as outfits for all of them to embody their superhero alter egos: The Bark Knight, Cat Kid, and Lightning Dude. Collectively, they are called The Supa Buddies.

A worker comes from Kitty Protective Services, insisting that Li’l Petey should be at school. Li’l Petey goes along happily with the cat, whom he correctly identifies as Petey. Petey admits that it is him; he strips off his disguise and explains that Li’l Petey is in danger. Three individuals from Petey’s past, whom he met when he was a child in Critter Scouts, are seeking revenge on Petey for getting Critter Scouts closed down. The three villains, Piggy, Crunky, and Bub, want to destroy Li’l Petey to avenge Petey’s destruction of Critter Scouts. Petey escaped from Cat Jail after he heard this in order to save Li’l Petey.

Dog Man is late to work (because of his habit of chasing squirrels) and then jumps all over Chief, allowing the three criminals, Piggy, Crunky, and Bub, to escape. Dog Man is sent home from work in disgrace.

Petey and Li’l Petey see that they are being pursued by Piggy, Crunky, and Bub, collectively called The Fleas, who are atop a Robo-Brontosaurus. This group is being pursued by the cops, Chief and Milly, as well as the journalist, Sarah Hatoff, and her dog, Zuzu.

At home, Dog Man and 80-HD see Sarah’s live coverage of the events and realize that Li’l Petey is in trouble. They quickly don the clothing and props that mark them as Supa Buddies, and dressed as The Bark Knight and Lightning Dude, they rush to the scene.

Petey and Li’l Petey jump down a manhole into the city’s sewers to escape the pursuing villains. They make their way through branching tunnels to reach a quiet stretch of city street. Meanwhile, Li’l Petey is driving Petey crazy with his repetitive, toilet-humor-inspired knock-knock jokes, which always involve the object in question pooping on someone’s head. Petey agrees to go back and help the others if Li’l Petey stops calling him Papa; Li’l Petey is upset, but he agrees. Petey and Li’l Petey get into Petey’s giant Petey-shaped robot.

Piggy, Crunky, and Bub on the Robo-Brontosaurus find Petey and Li’l Petey in the Petey robot. Li’l Petey becomes Cat Kid and cuts Chief, Milly, Sarah, and Zuzu free (they were being held in a claw of the Robo-Brontosaurus). Dog Man catches the falling group in his Dogmobile’s giant baseball glove. The group is then thrown from the giant glove when Dog Man brakes suddenly, but they are cushioned by giant marshmallows when they coincidentally fly into a giant marshmallow factory.

Piggy prepares to destroy the group, but Petey engages him. The respective robots fight. Piggy stops and suggests that instead of fighting, he and Petey should join forces. Petey is briefly tempted but remembers Li’l Petey’s belief that Petey can change from being a criminal into being a good person. When Piggy insults Li’l Petey, Petey tells Piggy not to talk about his son in that way.

Piggy gives up on Petey and goes to retrieve Crunky and Bub, who are chasing fireflies with Li’l Petey. Li’l Petey pesters Piggy on the way back with questions. Dog Man is flung into a factory of Cannery Grow; he grows to immense proportions. Li’l Petey paints and draws on the Robo-Brontosaurus, making it look like a squirrel, and then calls “squirrel!” to Dog Man, causing him to excitedly pursue the Robo-Brontosaurus. Petey finds his shrink-ray gun and shrinks the Robo-Brontosaurus and the three villains riding on top of it. The group loses track of the three shrunken villains. Meanwhile, Dog Man furiously scratches himself, suggesting that The Fleas are in his fur. Petey and Li’l Petey embrace lovingly; Petey calls himself Li’l Petey’s Papa.

Petey agrees to be returned to Cat Jail, although he feels upset at the injustice of this, given that he chose to align himself with the side of good in the fight. Li’l Petey comforts him that he did the right thing and encourages him to continue to be good and honest even though it’s sometimes hard. Petey resolves to escape Cat Jail again the next day to take his son to get ice cream. Chief walks Li’l Petey home to Dog Man’s home.

The story returns to the frame narrative; Harold and George are studying Call of the Wild by Jack London at school. It is giving them ideas for another Dog Man iteration.